Superiority
by Torie Rilistkrytcat
Summary: Post apocalypse Multichap. In the wake of a nuclear war, only two groups of people survive; the civilized superiors, and the primitive inferiors who dwell in underground colonies, treated like pests by the citizens above. Yet when a respected superior general is dealt the task of training a nameless and stubborn inferior into a decent citizen, a forbidden attraction may arise. A/H
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own total drama**

* * *

**_Prologue (Must read)_**

* * *

_In 3000 AD, a Nuclear war broke out across the earth, and after a highly advanced nuclear missile was fired from a lunar military base the earth found that they had one month to evacuate, or they would be blown up . Since the human race was dangerously populated, the world leaders chose to evacuate only the strongest and most intelligent citizens and keep them in the radiation proof chamber, leaving the inferior to die._

_However, a group of scientists who had been left due to their inferior bodies created their own radiation-proof chamber underground to protect the citizens who had been left to die, hastily gathering what was left of food surplus. Just one million managed to make it to the chamber before the missile hit, killing anyone left instantaneously. Both groups- inferior and superior- managed to survive the war without damage. The surviving human population- just one and a half million superiors and one million inferiors- remained in their chambers until the radiation had cleared, which took several thousand years. In that time, the superiors retained their humanity, though they grew corrupt with their own arrogance. However, the inferiors became hardened and bitter, hatred increasing for the ones who had left them to die. Though they did not becomin inhuman, many customs were lost; they no longer wore clothes, or gave their children distinguishable names; anything unnecessary was discarded. _

_When the radiation cleared, the earth was left in delapidated ruins. The superiors decided to remain in their civilized and clean chamber, having their own ways of harvesting food and purifying water and therefore having no need to venture out onto what once was Earth. However the inferiors became scavengers, leaving their chamber daily in attempts to recover some of their previous technology. _

_Once the superiors discovered that there were still others living in an underground colony, they believed that they were pests, and needed to be wiped out before they threatened the society that had been built over the last few thousand years. They began to organize daily patrols in the ruins of earth, seeking out any inferiors that crossed their path and exterminating them. The inferiors had to resort to sneaking out at night and organizing careful patrols, for fear of being killed by the superiors._

_However, some inferiors were redeemed. If a superior discovered a group of inferior humans, they were required to catch and inspect them. If any of them showed potential, then the superiors were required to take them back to the city, where they would be treated and taught how to live as a superior, given names and basic training on how to live the superior lifestyle. The superior general who found them would be responsible for their education and if they shaped up and learned enough within one year, then they would be introduced into the society as a superior._

_If not, then they would be deemed a pest and euthanized._

* * *

It was dark- but, then, it always was. The sky had lost its luster millennia ago, and was permanently covered by a dark smog. The long accumulated piles of rubble- all that remained on the charred landscape- were laden with shards of twisted, damaged metal. It was all but useless, but to the primitive society beneath the earth it was their last sense of hope. They had poor means of welding, but using the metal they could fashion basic tools to keep themselves alive; it was all they had.

A small figure slipped through a particularly large pile of rocks, scuffing and grazing her already calloused skin. Her dark, ungroomed hair hung as a tangle of thistles, right down to her knees; it was drawn back with a crude strap for practicality, the only piece of clothing she wore; inferiors had not worn clothing in centuries- there was no need any more.

The scavenger had no name; names were trivial. She had heard of names, having read the records of pre-superior times left in the darkened, stone chamber she, and all her ancestors, had lived in; often, being an intelligent human, considering what her name would have been when she was younger, though now thoughts like that were inconsequential; scavenging was her life now. She searched the delapidated waste ahead of her, eyes scanning it for a glint of metal in the rocks. She had learned to be quick and agile, scurrying from one mound of rubble to the other. Her hands scrabbled across the rocks, dirt-encrusted fingers sifting through charred and blackened waste; some of it crumbled at the touch of her nimble fingers. The rocks made dull clunks as she tossed some aside into the thigh-deep mounds of rubble; there was no trace of metal, and she scowled down at the pile. A few feet from her, she could hear another scavenger searching, yet there was no trace of metal left. Despite the advanced state of the nuclear missile, there were some things that did not completely disintegrate with the impact; metal, though it would be severely damaged, was one of those substances. It was what the inferiors depended apon, and yet it was growing increasingly rarer.

The dark-haired scavenger checked the sky frequently in her search; though it always remained dark, when the faint smudge of light- it was all that could be seen of the sun through the heavy clouds that stayed above the earth permanently, never raining- hit the centre of the sky, she knew that it was time to head back into the colony. It was an unproductive day for her group; her search group dutifully returned to the chamber empty-handed. Inside the aged walls- chiseled out of some kind of thick rock and metal- she found the usual procession of inferiors, squatting in rowsas they receives their token handful of stewed vegetation. It was all they received to eat, and while the girl did not care for its dull taste, she had only tasted the preferrable meat twice. Their minute colony of animals was saved to feed those who were sick or injured; meat ran out or spoiled quickly, and they had to keep it for those who were unhealthy in order to regain their levels of protein up. She slipped in line, receiving her customary handful of tasteless food, which she forced down her throat quickly. The large food depository was in its usual crowded state, the leader of their colony standing in front of them on a crude stage. Their leader, unlike the others, was the only inferior to have been born with a name; she was known as Blainely, and rather than being shamelessly clotheless like the citizens, she wore a simple, frayed apron that had once been red; years of passing it down from leader to leader had left it in a poor and grimy state.

"Scavenging groups 5546, 8739, 0097 and 3187," She announced loudly, voice echoing as a million heads turned to stare at her in respect. The dark haired inferior looked up too, recognizing the familiar number; it was the closest thing to a name she had. "You are to resume your search for metal above once you have eaten. But be warned; our scouters have reported a group of superiors (a unanimous hiss of loathing rippled across the colony). If you see one, you are to return immediately. And if you get too close, then you need to resort to the basic safety procedure of..."

The girl stopped listening; she had heard the same words, spoken in the same monotonous tones of the leader's voice, each week after mealtime. There was a bitter resentment that welled deep inside her at the mention of the superiors; unlike most of the underground colony, she had actually seen a superior. She remembered what he had looked like all too clearly; the white uniform, the helmet bearing the dreaded motif, and the indifferent look on his pale face as he held up the dreaded weapon. She'd been scavenging with her parents at the time, only a small child, when they'd stepped out the sleek white craft and into the rubble. Her father had hastily stowed her behind a large boulder before she could protest while they ran to find a hiding place of their own, but never made it; though it was years ago, the girl remembered all too clearly seeing the superior clasp her parents, scanning the pleading adults with some form of technology that was infinitely more advanced than she'd ever seen again in her life, before speaking the words that would haunt her in her sleep for years to come;

"_No potential. Eliminate."_

There had been a burst of purplish light that would dance in the back of her eyelids for days to come; as a child she had stuffed her fist on her mouth to stop screaming...

NO. The girl shook her head, avoiding the painful memory that had plagued her for years. She wiped the green residue from her pitiful meal on her thicket of dark hair, before joining her scavenging group as they clambered briskly out the damp hole, back into the barren, smoky land. Her calloused feet sunk into the ashes that laced the ground as she climbed quickly, eyes once again combing the area. Her heart stopped; a familiar glint caught her eye in a clump of charred wreckage. She recognized it- with satisfaction- as a chunk of metal; something that she instinctively lunged forward to get. A scavenger who actually found some metal was highly respected; scraps of metal were the inferiors' lifeblood, the thing they created tools and instruments out of; the substance that was the basis of everything they did to survive. Her feet slipped on the uneven ground as she scrambled forward, toes clenching around the rocks to steady herself. Dust flicked into her face, settling in her pores and hair as she clambered forward. She kept her eyes fixed on the metal as she moved; she'd travelled several feet before she realized tthe her fellow scavengers had grown quiet. There was the dreaded sound of rocks crunching under heavy boots not far from her; she ducked down, a sharp piece of debris digging into her ribs as she slunk down, trying to stay out of sight; there was a superior in the area.

She could see the all-too-familiar white suit in her peripheral vision, almost glowing against the grimy setting. They were close, too close... Her heart beat quickly, and she tried not to envision the fate that had befallen her parents happening to her. Mercifully, she heard the superior step out of sight, and exhaled deeply into the rocks. Slowly, straining to remember the safety drills all inferiors were taught, ssloop per herself up on all fours, slowly crawling across the rocks, placing her limbs carefully for fear of slipping and making a noise. Adrenaline was surging through her; one false move and they'd hear her...

A boot came crashing down in front of her face. She tensed, before feeling a rough hand grabbing her by the hair, hoisting her up; she screamed frantically; it was every inferior's worse nightmare... A superior had found her.

The superior in question scrutinized her. He looked weirdly clean compared to the ruggedness she was used to; his face was smooth and tanned, hair (so different to the tangles she was accustomed to seeing) falling to his collar, his green eyes glancing over her in what appeared to be amusement. To her, it was the most hideous face in the world at that moment. Her voice was hoarse, but she did not give up screaming; flight instinct kicked in, and she began struggling in an attempt to escape his grasp and race back to the chamber. Terror was stabbing into her as she swatted fiercely at the superior- any moment now, and he'd kill her...

"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" He smirked; his voice made her skin crawl- it had an unfathomable accent she'd never heard before lacing it. She snarled, before spitting in his face in the hopes that he would recoil. Instead, to her disgust and horror, he laughed.

"It almost seems a shame to kill you- can you talk?"

"Let me GO!" She growled in response, though her voice was filled with panic. Tears stung at her eyes, but she blinked them back; it was a weak thing to cry...

He held her firmly in place, though she tried everything to pull free. She felt bile rise in her throat, and her head was ringing; it was like reliving the nightmares that tormented her even now, except this was real; he was going to "eliminate" her, as a superior had her parents...

He pulled a strange device from his belt and pressed her into her arm; automatically, she yelped and flinched; this was the weird device they'd been warned that the superiors used to "scan" them for signs of potential. She cringed, trying not to cry and expecting the flash of purple light she remembered far too well to hit her any moment soon. However, with a beep, he removed the scanner and- to her intense shock- a weird smile crossed his face. His skin tone, she noticed, was one she'd never encountered; the inferior colony had all adapted to be pale, minimal amounts of sun leaching the color from their skin.

"You have ninety four percent potential," He grinned at her. The words meant nothing to her, yet she felt a chill go down her spine.

"What does that mean?" She spat in his face. His grin never faltered.

"It means that you're coming with me."

* * *

**Okay, so this fic is reaaaaally weird so far, I know. But it'lbetter ore interesting next chapter, when she goes back to the civilisation with Alejandro. I have big plans for this if you just stick with it...**

**Also, I know it's annoying that Heather doesn't have a name yet, so I have to keep referring to her as "her", and "she." But she'll get her name next chapter, I promise. **

**What did you think of this really weird fic idea, then? Please give me tips or feedback (no flames or overly harsh criticisms, please.) I know there are bound to be some weird typos in this, because I typed it on my IPad.**

**Thanks for reading. **


	2. Chapter 2

WRITE AN A/N LATER

**IMPORTANT NOTE: Since this is set in the future, there is only one colony of superiors, therefore they all speak the same language and therefore Alejandro will not be speaking in Spanish just yet in the story. However, language will play a part in a later chapter...**

* * *

The scavenger screamed once more; her voice was growing hoarse, and she was inhaling uncomfortable amounts of dust, and yet she didn't care. In the distance, she saw the white complex of the superiors- an enormous mass, looking unnaturally clean set against the mottled sky. She wrenched her arm in the grasp of the superior, chafing at the unfamiliar material of his leathery gloves, and yet he made a clicking notice with his tongue.

"Do not try and resist me." He told her simply, amused by her despondency. " I am much stronger than you are."

The scavenger writhed, flipping her arm over uncomfortably. The loud crunching of state-of-the-art boots on the rocky outcrop signified the arrival of another superior, a male whose face displayed a strong aura of immaturity. His face blanched for a moment at the sight of the inferior girl, before he hollered out a loud, coarse laugh.

"Hey, you got one!" He yelled to the superior currently restraining the girl, and the tone made her dirt-encrusted skin crawl; the way he dismissed her as "one", like an indifferent cog in the wheel...

"Woah." The other guy reached out, tilting up her head roughly. He was even less gentle than the tanned superior, shoving her face around like a ball. "For an animal, it's kinda hot."

The inferior gave a hiss of fury, reaching out and striking him automatically across the face. He recoiled, narrowing his teal eyes at her.

"Do not refer to her as an _it_." The first superior responded, his voice sounding almost cold and defensive. The inferior would have been grateful, and yet she reminded herself that this was a superior, a monster who she could not trust.

"Okay," The pale superior did not cease staring at her uncomfortably, eyes moving up and down her body, before his face split into a grin.

"Seriously, though, you don't know how lucky you are!" He chortled, finally. "A year with a hot chick-"

"That's enough, Duncan." the first superior said forcefully, and the girl shuddered with recognition; "Duncan" was evidently a name, a title forced on a superior; she shuddered at the idea, a prospect indocterinated deep within her mind to repulse her. As the one named "Duncan" leered over her naked and bony form as though she was a piece of livestock, something he could lay claim to, she once again attempted to make an escape, only to be once more yanked back, with a force that could have ripped her scrawny arm from its socket. Her eyes narrowed, and the superior could not help thinking that she had an almost feline grace about her, in her slender body and pointed chin.

"Calm down," The tanned superior attempted to soothe her, shooting a smile that reflected what dim light burst through the constant clouds. "I am not going to hurt you."

The girl felt cold tremors of distrust down her spine as she stared at him; while his eyes seemed genuine, she refused to believe this; the memory of her parents' death still rung bitterly in her head, and as he forced her along, she ensured that the worn soles of her feet dragged on the callous earth; she would not go quietly...

When the monstrous superior complex swam into view, white and oppressive across the barren landscape, her face rippled and contracted with sheer hatred at the sight; it was just as she'd pictured it from the accounts she'd heard- she had never dared venture close enough to see more than a blob on the horizon, for fear of being caught; it was so tall it cast a lake of shadows across the uneven ground ahead of it, a purer white than she'd ever seen before. The whole complex was wrought from smooth plates that bore the same sheen as metal, but were opaque and white: colourless, and uniform. She felt a strong surge of fury at the realization that whoever had "eliminated" her parents, with no given reason other than that they were allegedly "pests", was most likely in that colony somewhere, the metaphoric blood of thousands of her kind on their hands... She thrashed again, body contorting as she tried to escape; part of her felt as though dying would be preferable to being swallowed up by this atrocity of a society.

There were more of the "superiors" coming out of the woodwork now, like an unstoppable army of white-clad killers as they returned from scouring the landscape. She wondered, with a generous slash of bitterness mingled with sadness, just how many of her own colony had been slaughtered. It made her stomach turn to see that no one else from her scavenging group had been brought back, and she found herself hoping painfully that they'd made it back, and were not lying in a discarded heap, sinking into the rubble. And yet, any rational thought was cut off when she was pulled to a halt outside the superiors building; it was unlike anything she'd ever seen; completely smooth, with no visible character on the outside other than a few barely noticeable grooves in the sterile, reflective surface. Fr some reason she could not contemplate, she was being dragged closer and close to the smooth front, seemingly intentionally colliding with it,since she could see no entry... Then the panel split down the centre, sliding away with a smooth mechanism, and she found herself staring in disgustsat the hallway of a superior building. For a moment, the abnormal entrance threw her, but she drummed up a memory from the painstaking courses every inferior had been forced to sit through; this was another "unimportant" superior amenity, known as a door. Her toes clenched into the earth, in a final plea to remain in the world she'd known forever, but she was ripped inside the dwarfing building with a howl of anger.

She was _inside_ the superior complex. The concept was disgustingly alien, and the coupe confused her; so clean, and open, and large...

She loathed it. All she could see was a long, seemingly endless stretch of white panels, narrowing into a corridor. Her eyes blinked, not used to the artificial light glaring down on her from beams in the ceiling, and she shivered; somehow, the air temperature in here was controlled and thin, unlike the outside humidity, and the floor was uncomfortable against her bare feet. For the first time since she was born, she felt bare; recirculated air swept over her skin, and eyes travelled to her naked form automatically, heads turning at the sight of her; evidently, an inferior amongst their presence was not a regular occurrence. Many other, more vulnerable beings would have flinched, and yet she stared into the eyes of the people who gaped and pointed at her, her fury silencing them. Realizing with a bitter sting that this was inevitable, and screaming any more would strip her of what fragile dignity she had, she wordlessly followed as she was dragged across the strange, cold and light place; her personal hell. The superior who held her arm could not help pitying her, knowing it must be difficult, and yet he knew that she would be better off here than in the primitive hovel she'd resided in before anyway...

His hand flew to his belt, and a button sent a crackle that made her jump tensely.

"Send a medical officer down here. I've got one with potential."

* * *

The girl sat stubbornly, sticking her chin out, refusing to let her eyes meet the ones of the woman who stood above her, performing strange tests that pressed uncomfortable instruments into her arm, and punching facts into a thin technological apparatus; "registering" her, as she'd informed the general, adding the girl to the huge society of people who deemed themselves better than others... It made her skin crawl uncomfortably, the idea of being one of "them." The woman who spoke to her was less harsh than some of the other superiors she'd encountered, and the girl felt less hatred towards her, since she was a medical officer and not an officer trained to kill those they deemed inferior.

"The name will come later; your trainer will decide on one." She told the girl, whose lip curled in a furious sneer.

"My trainer?" She scoffed harshly, voice carrying oddly in the medical bay. The woman cocked an eyebrow at the inferior's clearly disdainful tone.

"The officer who found you- I believe it was..." Her head snapped down to the apparatus she held delicately on a splayed palm, hair swishing around her face before she looked up. "General Burromuerto."

The word caused a snide laugh to emit from the girl's cracked, dusty lips; it was a ridiculous, and redundant word, superfluously pronounced; a "second name" she presumed, not even a first. The memory of the seemingly arrogant superior grinning in a serpentine way at her sent rivets of hatred through her, and she felt an even stronger dislike for him than any other superior she'd seen in the place so far, purely because he had brought her to the nightmarish place, filled with hideous murderers.

"Your age," The woman continued reciting the instant results of the girl's tests to her; she was nineteen years old, apparently, and underweight with low iron levels, type A blood... It meant nothing to her, nothing but facts and figures to her designed to pigeonhole her into superior specifications. Theowl an gave her a wry smile, one which she did not return; she felt rudeness was all the people deserved. And, despite being minutely calmer, her panic and mistrust returned when two superiors, both blonde and looking possibly younger than her came and announced that they were going to escort her to another chamber, to do what they referred to as "clean her up." From their falsely sweet tones that they inflected into their words, almost condescending, she could gather that they are going to try and make her look like a superior, to blend in with them.

This unsettled her; she refused to become one of them, and this added to its inevitability. Her despondency returned: She screamed and yelled as the two blonde superiors carried her into an unfamiliar room, angered and terrified once more, panicking thoughts whirling through her head; the whole place was foreign to her, so bright and fresh that it baffled her. She was distrustful; these were people she'd grown up learning about the evil of what they did, the people who had killed so many of her colony because they were "pests"; she decided to remain wary of all they did to her to try and "clean her". The chamber they had to drag her into was close to the medical bay, and another ridiculously large room, one that could have housed a great percentage of her colony.

In the centre of the room there was something large and characteristically white, that on closer inspection appeared to be filled with water that was clearer than she'd even seen before. Despite snarling at the superiors to leave her alone, they placed her in the water like a child, and she flinched at it, glaring at the others. One of them began laying out several unknown utensils, and she shuddered in fear; what were they going to do to her? Torture her? As they approached her with one, she cowered, giving them a look of hatred.

"It's alright," The blue eyed one of the superiors- who seemed less brusque than the other- soothed gently, in the voice someone would use to reassure a child. It failed to calm her down, instead repelling her with its sugary sweetness. "We won't hurt you..."

"Just ignore it, Lindsay." The other girl said harshly, and somehow her tone was less unnerving than the other's to the inferior. "She's obviously going to freak out, no matter what you say."

The dark-haired girl remained tense and silent as they began to rub her skin with something, while dirt pooled into the water; were they... Cleaning her? She gave them a suspicious look; they weren't doing anything to hurt her YET, but she wasn't letting her guard down; she shrieked as a torrent of water splashed down her head and through her hair, icy against her sun-hardened skin. The two scraped her legs and underarms with something sharp (leaving her shakingly tense during the process for fear of being injured), pulled at her hair and scrubbed her skin until the water was beginning to cloud with dirt- they pulled her out, handing her something shapeless and white. She dropped it immediately so that it sprawled on the floor lifelessly, scowling down at it, eyes beams of enmity.

The superiors, exchanging weary glances, whisked it off the floor and wrapped it around her, the fluffy cloth warming her strangely silky skin; the girl tried to push them off.

"Don't touch me," She threatened, but they ignored her, pushing her down into a weird, cushioned object- a chair, she recalled; something that, according to what she'd learned, was once commonplace. Out the corner of her eye, she saw one of the blonde holding something sharp with the unmistakeable glint of metal; was it a weapon of some sort? She cringed, waiting for the inevitable pain to rivet through her body, but it never did; the superior was tugging lightly at her mass of wet hair, while one leaned irritatingly close to her face, and began pulling at something above her eyes, resulting in minor stabs of pain that she clenched her teeth and flinched at each time. She remained, tense and shocked, while the superiors worked around her, before they finally ceased, leaning in and smiling over her.

"Wow, she's pretty," One complimented, though this disgusted the girl rather than pleased her; superior approval revolted her. They ordered her to stand up, before selecting three white items from a box. It was easy to recognize what they were, and she gave a hiss of refusal. This was pushing the envelope, and she felt she had been pushed through enough of a superior ordeal already.

"I'm not putting that on." She growled indignantly, as they approached her with _clothing_. To her, clothing was indoctrinated as a symbol of superior oppression. The taller, green-eyed superior rolled her eyes again, and the inferior girl scowled up at her, feeling intense dislike for her snarkiness.

"You can't walk around naked forever." She snapped, grabbing one of the inferior's arms. The inferior aimed a kick at her leg, but she tutted softly, while her comrade hastily clipped an item of clothing round the back of her chest, pulled one up between her legs and finally zipped the uniform white jumpsuit on around her, all the while staring at her with blue eyes that begged for forgiveness. She tried to claw it off herself, but irritably couldn't manage. While she fumbled with the zip, pulling at it to n avail, the superiors quickly strapped her feet into boots; having been bare all her life, they felt oddly constricted. She flexed her freshly pedicured feet inside the strange, thick material, before scowling up at them.

"There!" The blue-eyed one they'd referred to as Lindsay smiled, looking thoroughly pleased. "You look really pretty!"

Pretty. It was an adjective that was faded and superflous in her brain; looks failed to matter in the inferior colony, and while she had been taught their basic customs and purposes, she did not like the idea of being labelled with a superior word. The clothes supported her body more than she had ever felt, and yet the material rubbed against her skin in a way she was not accustomed to. Another glint sent her instincts wheeling, and she spun around to catch the metal, and yet it was not metal; it was yet another unfamiliarity, a material that reminded her of water, and yet it was still, and glittering.

Despite herself, she reached out tentatively to touch it, before skittering back at the sight; as she approached the watery panel, an image swam into view; one of yet another superior girl. The inferior tensed, glaring, and yet as she gazed at it, realisation struck her. She knew what reflection was, having seen just the faintest shadows of them in fragments of metal and the grimy pool of water that they bathed communally in back in her colony, the colony she missed with every second that ticked by, but this image was much more clear, as though there really was another person standing in front of her, whose stance just happened to match hers. It clicked in her brain that this image must be _her_, and yet... It couldn't be.

From what she recalled of the dull outline in the clouded water, her own skin was darker and drier, flaky in some areas. Her hair was long, down to her kneecaps, and the texture of the thin, weak thistles that were the only vegetation to survive outide the walls of the compound she'd known her whole life. But this girl was different, a complete stranger to the homely image she'd been used to her whole life. Her face was clean, and strikingly pale, even compared to the whitewashed color most inferiors bore. Her hair had become its polar opposite, darker now it was freed of its formerly constant layer of dust and hanging behind her like a curtain, though a significant length had been removed, now bruhsing her waist. The clothes that she had been forces into looked strange on her body, fitted perfectly like a second skin and yet smooth and opaque, hiding every blemish and sending tremors of disillusionment as she stared at the stranger.

Then her hands were tearing, ripping at the fabric, and yet it was somehow indestructible. She made a noise of frustration, fingertips slipping on the material; her formerly long and jagged nails had been filed down. The two blondes rushed to restrain her, the one named Lindsay looking prettily close to tears.

"Please- calm down!" She begged, high-pitched voice frantic. Her small hand curled around the inferior's, prising them off the tightly fitted material. The inferior's knee shot up, digging into her chest to push her off, and the girl cried out.

"Dakota- help-" She called to her comrade who, with a sigh, peeled the inferior's other hand away. She hated being restrained; it made her feel even more vulnerable and beaten down by this soulless society.

"Look, the general wants to see you in the-" Her brow furrowed in confusion at a blinking message that had appeared on her informative arm band. "Con-seeeer-va..."

"Conservatory." The other finished for her, before groaning. "Conservatory 18? That's two miles away."

"The what?" the inferior spat, purely for the sake of being callous and argumentative. The girls took her by the arm, and hastily pulled her to the wall, which split once more as a set of doors. Her new boots were heavy on her feet, causing her footsteps to echo as she crossed over the smooth and even floor, and though people did not stare rudely at her, she glanced angrily at all, as though it was their fault that she was being confined there. The technology unwillingly frightened her in this area; she'd gone from a crude, poorly constructed primitive cavern to a place that was overtly sterile. They pulled her into small rooms from time to time, rooms that moved with a sudden jolt and made her stumble and yelp, before opening to a different area; was this the legendary elevator she'd laughed at how far-fetched it sounded during her eduaction in the colony? Finally, after spending too long traveling, the duo of blondes released her in front of a set of doors.

"We have to go," Lindsay said slowly. "Will you be alright?"

"In this disgusting place?" She retorted harshly. "No!"

The two departed then, blonde hair swishing as she stepped hesitantly across into the "conservatory", unsure of what would face her, but disgusted at the knowledge that "the general" would be waiting for her.

* * *

She found herself in an odd, glass-walled room, and for a brief moment wondered if she'd been directed to the right place; it was filled with thick, green substances like she'd never seen before. Despite her hatred for the situation, she had to appreciate the beauty of what she saw in front of her; these looked like what she'd learnt were flowers, and yet they were more beautiful than she'd ever imagined. A particular patch caught her eye; a thin, bush-like with delicate pink flowers, and though she still held disdain for this place she couldn't help being drawn into its innocence; spellbound, she leaned in, letting her hand- it startled her to see just how pale it was now the layer of dust and soil had been removed- brush against the fragile pink bells .

"Do you like them?

She gave a growl of deep loathing; it was HIM, the general who'd found her and brought her here. Her hair, which felt abnormally light and silken, swished as she turned even further away from him indignantly.

"Go away." She ordered, folding her arms. The irony of it amused him; she was under his charge, and his rules, yet somehow she emitted a strongly authoritative vibe. He laughed slightly; it cut through her like a knife.

"I cannot, remember? I am supposed to be training you up."

Turning around, she glared sullenly at him; for a brief moment, he seemed taken aback by her appearance. If he had not seen her just two hours ago, covered with ingrained dust and ill-groomed, he would have easily mistaken her for a superior. And yet, the trainee emblem set against the tight, second skin of a uniform set her apart. Her pale skin and hair strikingly contrasted each other under the unnatural light beaming down on them from the ceiling, and though her face was scrunched in fury, she held an intimidating sort of beauty.

"You know, you're a pretty one when you're clean."

She scowled deeply at him, her fists clenching as she glared into his ever-amused eyes for a moment.

"I want to go back." She snapped finally, feeling another stab of longing for the rustic world she had known all her life, and he scoffed.

"Why, when we have so much to offer you here?" He gestured to their surroundings, and she had to admit that the room alone was bigger, cleaner and more beautiful than any chamber in her colony. However, she refused to let that sway her; her mistrust for the superiors still remained strong. The whole place was poisonous to her; beautiful, but heartless and evil; inside, it held the people who had disposed of so many of her colony, including her parents. Her hate brimmed once more at the memory of the flash of purple that had shaken her whole world...

"Because I hate it here." She responded viciously. He laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You'll learn to like it in time. Anyway," He spoke hastily; her mouth had opened to protest. "Since I'm going to be responsible for you now, I have to choose a name for you."

She sucked in a furious breath at the prospect; it was just... Wrong for her. What if he named her something horrible that she disliked? Besides, names were pointless appendages, she'd been taught to believe. Receiving a name would categorize her with the superiors, and she hated that idea.

"Most people just choose a name. However, I'd prefer to let you have some say in the matter."

"I choose not to receive a name." She said instantly. Part of her hoped, with an almost sadistic undertone, that he would become enraged at her hotheadedness, and leave her in peace. Instead of growing angry, however, he grinned at her. This was irritating- how much would it take to genuinely anger him?

"I'm sorry, but you must receive a name. Tell me, which of these flowers do you like best?"

She didn't want to answer him, but as she gazed at the blossoms around her, one in particular stood out to her; the one she'd touched earlier. If she was forced to have a name, then it could at least be one she preferred rather than the arrogant general's choice...

"That one." She muttered dully, pointing to the plant with the small, pink blooms. She heard him make a noise of approval.

"That is my favourite too," He informed her, the knowledge that she shared something with him sending a spark of anger into her. "And it is named Heather. So, from now on..." a sleek, silver pen scratched across the surface of a tablet. "So will you be. And I must say, it does suit you."

She wanted to loathe it- to hate the name that had been thrust on her. Yet she liked the word Heather; it was a pretty word, one that felt pleasant to hear, the two syllables flowing into each other.

"Heather," She tried slowly, liking the way the words felt on her lips. If she had to have a superior's name, then it was preferable to some she'd heard. "That's not too hideous for something a superior came up with."

He seemed pleased with her satisfaction for the name; he reached out, gently touching her shoulder with one tanned hand; she shook him off automatically, and he sighed. Usually, the inferiors he came into contact with- in particular, the women- felt comfortable around him, and he was able to charm them into trusting them. Yet this one- Heather- was set against the whole institution.

"Like it on not, if you are going to learn anything here, then you need to cooperate with me." He ordered her sharply, though there was still a friendly undertone to his voice. "After all, you're stuck with me for a year."

"A... Year?" The girl seethed, the idea of staying with this arrogant general for that long (while the inferiors were primitive, they did have ways of measuring time) while he "taught her" to be one of what she's always classified as monsters unwelcome; it sent shivers of anger down her spine.

If he was as despondent as she was, he did not show it; instead he smirked, taking her hand, though she attempted to wrench her fingers from his and did not succeed.

"Yes, a year, Heather. (The use of her newly appointed name took her aback slightly.) And I think that if we are going to be together for that long, then I should introduce myself formally; I am Alejandro."

For a brief moment, she racked her brains, trying to remember what it meant to be Alejandro, then it kicked into her that it was a first name. It made her almost want to laugh, she thought bitterly; it was superfluously long in her opinion, with an unusual pronunciation she would have trouble getting her head around. Combined with the last name she recalled the woman in the medical bay reciting- Burromuerto, or something- it was the epitome of ridiculousness.

"Are all superior names as stupid as that?" She asked him brusquely. He ignored this remark.

"When we are around the others, you are to call me sir, and General." He informed her dutifully. "However, when we are training alone, I will prefer to work on a first name basis."

She said nothing, eyes glowering his way like flints of metal; sparks of hatred shot put from their grey depths. He responded with humor in his own green eyes, and extended an arm, offering to escort her to their next generation. However, Heather stubbornly folded her own arms, sending a worldess signal to him that she would not act friendly towards him. Ignoring this, he led her down a seemingly endless maze of corridors, up another elevator (she sneered in hatred at the jolt as they ascended) and down, to another smaller and less public hallway, the doors more distinguishable due to blaring screens that displayed the names of the residents and their occupations. She was surprised to see that the one he led her to (reading was another known but seldom-used skill in the inferior colony) bore her new name, displaying that she was a trainee.

"I had your quarters set up while you were getting registered." He informed her, and yet she was not grateful, not that he would have expected her to be. "You have a face recogniser;" He waved one hand to a tiny device above the screen displaying her name, and as she scrutinized it, it made a snapping noise, causing her to flinch. A mechanical voice crowed out that she had been granted clearance, and the doors separated smoothly. Despite her tension, her mouth fell agape at the quarters that had been allocated to her; they were easily as abundant as half one of the crowded communal eating areas in the inferior colony, fixed with ridiculously luxurious amounts of furniture; a bed, chairs, sofas, tables... Things she had never seen, and only heard about in stories of the superiors. Though she could nt help feeling a little greed at the space provided, she steeled herself.

"Do you like it?" He asked her softly, smirking, but she shook her head stiffly.

"It's far too big," She spat. "This is grossly wasteful; a hundred people could sleep in here-"

Alejandro rolled his eyes at her, and she noted this must have been some insolent, superior habit or custom.

"Then you should consider yourself lucky." He told her simply, moving quickly across the room and gesturing to some small, metal box set in the wall.

"Since the dining hall might overwhelm you, you'll get your food delivered here tonight. And I will start training with you tomorrow, from five o'clock-"

"Five o what?" she interrupted rudely, shrinking angrily against a wall before shuddering at the coldness of it. He shrugged, indicating yet another screen on the wall, one that displayed a set of digits she didn't Recognise. At her clear irritated confusion, he shrugged his shoulders once more. "I will set an alarm for you."

"Will you?" The words were defiant, and almost _daring_ him to set an alarm simply because she was annoyed, but rather than annoying him, somehow her persistence and strength intrigued him further; her lips looked somehow appealing curved into a frown. However, her face once twitched into horror as a beep rang out throughout her quarters, and he stifled a laugh at her shock. He indicated the metal chute with his head, and she looked disgusted to see that a plastic square had been deposited.

"is that... Food?"

Her voice was thick with foul disgust as she reached out to touch it, studying it; was she supposed to somehow consume this? Alejandro took it from his charge, carefully removing the cover to display an assortment of prepackaged meat and vegetables that Heather once again turned her nose up at.

"But I'm not sick. This is another stupid waste." She said bluntly, eyes focused on the generous serving of meat. He blinked slowly at her words, before grasping their meaning.

"Yes- meat is sparse where you are from, is it not?" He comprehended, flicking a hand of thick hair back from his eyes, which were alive with interest. "Here, it is an abundant resource, Heather."

She still glowered down at the food, and yet she was hungry; her daily allocation of vegetation rarely satisfied her inbuilt needs. She picked the piece of meat up with one hand, but Alejandro clicked his tongue.

"I will have to add using a fork to your training, then." He chided mildly, as she bit hungrily into the food, before drowning. Though it was more flavor some thananything she had ever tasted, the notion that he might be poisoning her sprang to her mind, and she dropped it quickly onto the plate. Once again, Alejandro guessed her reasoning with a snicker.

"I do nt intend to poison you, Heather." His use of her recently appointed name was growing frequent, and he took pleasure in how it resonated. She gave him a filthy, heated look, but her hunger would nt let go, and she plunged her teeth into the food once more. Since she was as settled as she would ever be, Alejandro bid her goodbye with a slight air of disappointment; since she was clearly against his presence, he felt it best to leave her alone for the night.

Alejandro was striding down to his own quarters when an all-too-familiar voice rang out; he cringed.

"Al!" A desperately sugar-coated voice squealed and he cursed under his breath; it was Courtney, the girl whose unwanted advances had been plaguing him for months now, ever since he had been promoted to general. Sure enough, she swung in front of him, caramel hair bouncing on her collar as she grinned girlishly. He detested the sweetness she feigned around him, knowing all too well just how psychotic and domineering she was when she thought he wasn't in sight. As she looked his toned frame up and down, her eyes were alight with the usual greed that she transparently tried to conceal. He knew all too well Courtney liked him for his outward image; his reputation and appearance, and how she would look on his arm, like a perfected possession.

"Where were you at dinner?" She swooned, tugging irritatingly on his arm; he wanted to throw her off, but that would have been rude, and un-chivalrous. "The patrol's table was so lonely without you..."

He forced a smile to be polite, though inside he was scowling. "I was busy; I had to show a trainee her surroundings."

Courtney's face immediately fell, and he knew what she was thinking before she phrased it.

"Oh." The sickly sweetness faded from her voice. "Yes, I heard. This means you won't be going on patrols with us any more, doesn't it?"

He nodded. "Yes- I will be spending the coming twelve months training her."

On the word _her_, Courtney's face curdled even more with what was inarguably jealousy. "Have you named _it_ yet?"

"_It_ is _she_," He snapped; Courtney's discriminative detest for trainees never failed to anger him; they were humans too, after all. "And yes; her name is Heather."

There was a clear flicker of disdain on Courtney's face, and she snorted.

"You shouldn't give them such human names," She objected. "It makes it harder when they have to die-"

Alejandro gritted his teeth, wishing he could slap Courtney's face. "Actually, she's already learning very well," He said, attempting to remain calm. "Within the year, I think she'll almost definitely adapt." He was stretching the truth- Heather was set against their unfamiliar customs- but she was intelligent, and he hoped to earn her trust. Courtney gave him a disbelieving look, but shrugged.

"Whatever you say." She sniffed. Alejandro nodded curtly, walking past her in irritation. He did not really know just why he was being so defensive of Heather, and yet Courtney's obvious disgust made fury boil within his chest. He hoped the hardened look on his face would postpone her inevitable flirting, however he wasn't far past her when she spoke up again.

"Al?" She'd laced her voice with sugar again.

His eye twitched at the loathed nickname, but he turned around purely to be polite. Courtney wasblushing at him, twiddling her thumbs; her usual asking-out expression.

"Look, they're showing a really good movie on the holoscreen this Friday." She grinned. Alejandro sighed- he hated the tacky holoscreen anyway, and would never in his wildest dreams take Courtney there.

"I was wondering, since you'll want a break from the stupid trainee, if you wanted to-"

"I don't think so." He told her, trying not to sound too abrupt. "I'll most likely be busy with Heather- they say the first week's hard most difficult for them to adjust." _And I would not date a selfish girl like you anyway._

Courtney's eyes nearly bugged out with rage and humiliation at the refusal, but she contorted her features into a look of plastic understanding.

"That's fine," She said, letting out a hysterical giggle. "In fact, maybe I could help with this Heather- get her into shape."

Alejandro frowned; Courtney had only ever trained one inferior, and the poor girl hadn't lasted long; Courtney had been so vicious to her that after three months, she broke down and Courtney reported her despondency, resulting in her euthanization. The idea of Courtney's smug little face, sneering as Heather was strapped to a board and injected with an instant killer, send a chill down his spine.

"Maybe." He lied slowly, though he had no intention of doing so. Courtney gave him a feeble smile that he returned halfheartedly, before leaving. The image of his new charge was still imprinted in his brain, and he already felt some form of protectivity towards her, despite her clear hatred.

* * *

_"We have another trainee, sir."_

_From behind an expansive and extravagant chair, there came a loud and rather arrogant laugh._

_"Another pest brought back, then?" Another laugh resonated; a heavy brow clenched down over two beady, malicious eyes, and lips ringed with stubble twitched into a sadistic smile._

_"Male or female?"_

_"Female." Someone responded mechanically from the darkness, and the man in the chair leaned back, grinning as he stared at the glaring figures on the screen in front of him; they were the only source of illumination in the dark room._

_"Awesome!" He bugled childishly. "They're always so much easier to break... I want you to keep an eye on the new one, and monitor her resistance. She'll slip up somewhere; they always do. And when she does..." he snapped his fingers sharply, making the others in the dark room jump. "Bring her to me. If she's got any intelligence in her, then she'll tell us how to get in the colony. If not, then I'm sure a little time with the tasers should persuade her."_

_His voice echoed with another harsh laugh, and he traced a large finger over one of the many surveillance screens, grinning._

_"This time, I'm really gonna find you, Mildred." His voice turned the final word into a sneer. "It's time that you learned- no one ever leaves the superior complex..."_

* * *

**_OK, so that was a weird ending, but it'll make sense at the story goes on. What did you think? It was a pretty long chapter, and once again not that amazing yet, but at least Heather has a name now..._**

**_Please review!_**


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Total Drama and I typed this on my IPad, so please excuse any autocorrect errors.**

**...**

**Okay, I REALLY should be getting more of All or Nothing up, sorry! Someone actually asked me when I was going to update it again, I've almost finished another chapter now, so hopefully I'll get that updated sometime this week. It has been so hard for me to update recently, but hopefully I'll get back on track soon enough.**

**ALSO: Just to remind you, I know it seems kind of OOC that Alejandro doesn't say anything Spanish, but in this fic Spain doesn't actually exist any more, and everyone just speaks the one language. Language will actually come into the story later, but it's not really important right now.**

* * *

It was pale, all around her; pale walls that threatened to swallow her up. Heather blinked, trying to repress the urge to shatter something. She'd refused to sleep, suspicions that if she did they would take her and brainwash her or hurt her; instead, she'd thoroughly inspected the room she'd been forced to reside in. There were so many unfamiliar things that threw her; strange gadgets that blasted heat, dispensed strange items or sent torrents of water onto her when she pressed them. She was tired, but stubbornly forced herself to stay awake, fiddling with more unnecessary items. What, she wondered sourly, were the point of all these superior innovations? There was a strange, tiny room filled with shelves, that sent a rush of cold air at her when the door slid open- she warily inspected all the strange items inside, deducting that it must have been some sort of refrigerator. In the colony, they had had one large one to store milk and meat for sick people, but it was far less refined than hers. Small packages and bottles glinted up at hat from inside; tentatively, expecting some form of incineration ray to emitt from it, Heather pulled out a small rectangle that was wrapped in a substance she had never seen before; a smooth white paper, the word "HAZELNUT" stamped across it in red. Heather wasn't sure what a hazel nut was; she knew hazel to be an eye colour, and Nut to be a small metal part used in machines, so what did that make a hazelnut? Some form of spare part? If so, why was it in the refrigerator?

Curiously, she tore the papery substance, before dropping what was inside and flinching away before it potentially burned her skin off. It was a strange, segmented brown rectangle, seemingly harmless, though Heather refused to touch it just in case. A faintly sweet, rich odor came from it, and she covered her nose, hoping she hadn't been poisoned with some form of inhaled gas. She stared angrily at the bar, fixing it with a catlike gaze in case any evil mechanism reared its head.

_Everything a superior creates has an alterior use, _She remembered learning this mantra repeatedly during her training in the colony. _If they touch you with anything, don't be fooled._

Heather refused to let anything in this strange, too-clean complex fool her. She found herself standing, trying to avoid blinking too much, and surveying the room over again, half-expecting each insignificant object to shoot a fatal ray of purple light through her skull the second she turned her back on it.

* * *

Alejandro found a strange drive well up inside him when he awoke the next morning. It was unexpected; he'd assumed that it would be a dull job, no matter how amusing his trainee was, and that he would miss his daily patrols on the ruined earth. And yet, despite how irritating the work he had to do was (the first few weeks would be especially difficult, since he would have to tutor Heather in every minute detail of how the superior society operated) he felt strangely motivated, almost refreshed.

Instead of heading towards one of the dining halls as he usually would, he ate quickly in his own quarters, knowing that he would be required to tutor Heather through the early morning rituals. On reaching her rooms, which had mercifully been assigned close to his and not right at the other side of the complex, the face recognizer gave a small chirp of admission, and he stepped inside. The sight that greeted him was confusing, yet at the same time made him want to laugh; Heather sat, eyes narrowed into almost pinpricks, staring down at a small slab of hazelnut chocolate that was dropped on the table.

"What are you doing?"

Her head snapped up, and loathing registered in her eyes at the sight of her trainer's face.

"_You_," the word was spat through clenched teeth, and laced with heavy resentment. Though her face was dark and furious, her delicate and feminine features made her anger look out of place. Alejandro knew that some tutors would have been angered or offended by her lack of respect, but he found it almost endearing.

"Good morning. May I enquire as to why you are staring down a chocolate bar?"

For the briefest of seconds, the anger on her face morphed into confusion.

"It said on the paper it was a 'Hazelnut'," she snapped, eyes swivelling defensively down once more to the smudge of brown on the white table fitting. Very tentatively, she reached out, as though to touch it, before snatching her hand away once more. "What do you use these things for? Do they explode?"

"You eat them, Heather." Once again, it was hard for him to contain his amusement at the wariness that had been indoctrinated into her; he couldn't even see how something as pathetic as a small snack could set the girl on her guard.

"So it's poisonous." She assumed, shifting even further away from the piece of food. "Of course..."

Alejandro rolled his eyes, before quickly plucking it from the table and snapping a segment off, holding it out to her.

"It's not poisonous, I promise."

Heather merely scowled hatefully at the food he extended towards her, before rejecting the offer and glaring up into his tanned face instead.

"What do you want, anyway?"

He smiled in an attempt to be friendly, taking a seat across from her. "To begin your training, of course."

"I still have to do that?" Though it seemed irrational, Heather found herself clinging desperately onto the hope that somehow, overnight, he'd decided he would release her, and she could return to her colony and maintain the illusion that this had never happened. However, Alejandro gave a brief nod, and she deflated slightly, lip curling.

"What are you forcing me to do, then?"

"This morning, you will have to learn the basic morning rituals of our society. Ordinarily, I would be eating at the dining hall, but you have the option of eating there or in your quarters." as he spoke, Alejandro absently traced his finger along the edge of the table.

"But I ate less than twenty-four hours ago." Heather protested, folding her arms. "Do you actually eat twice a day?"

Anticipating her reaction to what he was about to say, Alejandro couldn't help smirking. "Three times, actually. And if you wish, you can consume snacks throughout the day."

As he'd expected, Heather recoiled with disgust at the prospect.

"That is so wasteful!" She argued loudly, hands balling into tight fists at the injustice. "In my colony, we strive to earn our food!"

Tutting slightly, though he didn't know if Heather knew what the gesture meant, Alejandro held up a hand in disagreement, cutting what could have potentially escalated into a heated rant off.

"It is no longer your colony," He reminded her. "You are now part of the superior complex."

For just a moment, however, he felt guilty; he saw a tiny spark of pain and longing flicker through Heather's eyes at his words, before the grey orbs hardened into ice chips once more, directing their cold glower at him. With a shrill beep that made Heather jump again, the metal food chute deposited another container onto the bench. Alejandro whisked it from the counter and presented it to Heather who, knowing that this was most likely harmless since she had encountered one the previous night, snatched it from his hands.

"What is THIS?" she scoffed loudly, after uncovering it to reveal what Alejandro had punched into the food order system for her earlier. Unsure of what she would like, he had ordered a simple breakfast for his charge; just a container of oatmeal. The texture was completely alien to Heather, and she didn't relish the idea of scooping it up with her hands, the method she was accustomed to using to eat.

"How am I supposed to even eat it?"

Alejandro brandished a spoon, and once again the reflective flicker of metal made Heather's head snap around instinctively.

"You eat with this," he explained slowly, placing it in her hand. Teaching Heather to use cutlery was a ridiculously tough feat; she was stubborn, once again scoffing about the redundancy that cutlery posed when the metal could be used for something else, before having trouble curving her hand into the shape Alejandro demonstrated to hold the spoon. Finally, she slammed it childishly down on the counter, scowling down at it.

"This is stupid!" she half-shrieked, her agitation causing her voice to escalate in pitch. Sighing at how long this was taking- they'd wasted a good fifteen minutes already- Alejandro handed the implement back to her, placing his hand on top of hers and gently curving her slender fingers into the right positions. As he did, Heather felt a strange warmth spread through the skin on the upside of her hand, though she ignored it. After eating, her awkward movements to avoid spilling any food almost comical, the doors to Heather's quarter's split open, revealing one of the blonde superiors who had helped "prepare" her just the previous day.

"Ah, Dakota." Alejandro smiled gratefully at the blonde, before turning back to Heather.

"Since you are female, I have requested that Dakota assist you in the matter of showering."

Dakota gave Heather a halfhearted smile (though her eyes remained bored), which Heather did not return. To leave her with some element of privacy, Alejandro excused himself, stepping out into the surprisingly empty hallway. Though the rooms were supposedly soundproof, the general could have been sure he'd heard an almost inhuman snarl of "_You create rain_?!" issue from inside the room... He almost pitied Dakota.

Heather had, after a great amount of hotheaded difficulty and arguments, allowed Dakota to demonstrate how to work a shower; when Alejandro reentered her quarters, he was greeted with a burning scowl, tiny droplets of water still clinging to her face as she shifted about in a thick white towel that had been pulled around her body, her black hair contrasting with the terrycloth from where it hung, dripping, down her back.

"Those are disgusting." She hissed. "That is such a waste of water; the amount that drains away could be used to clean another three people..."

"EW!" Dakota exclaimed loudly, her green eyes almost bugging in disgust as Heather. "That is NOT hygienic!"

From the expression on Heather's case, it was clear that hygiene was not a concept she was familiar with, or cared about it the least. Dakota, who had lived in the superior complex all her life was used to the structure and cleanliness of the place, and she shuddered at the very concept of washing in communal pools, trying to keep her disgust at bay as she surveyed Heather.

"Okay, so now you'll need to get dressed again- I guess I'll have to teach you how to put your own clothes on..."

The word clothes made Heather's lip curl once again, and she directed her glare away from Alejandro and onto the blonde as she pressed a button, causing a large section of the wall beside Heather's bed to slide away, revealing rows of pristine white suits, underwear and boots lined up underneath, like a rigid army of clothing. Still, knowing the fact that she would once again be forced into an oppressive garment was inevitable, she angrily flung down the towel covering her body. Alejandro gave a small cough, turning away. While when he'd first seen her she'd been naked, she was covered in a thick coating of dirt; this seemed so much more indecent.

"Um," Dakota tried to look away, thrusting some undergarments into Heather's hands. "You really shouldn't do that..."

"Why?" Heather snapped bluntly, placing her hands on her hips. "In my colony, we never wore clothes, and their was no problem. Why should it matter so much here?"

Dakota bit her lip slightly. "Well... If you take off your clothes in front of a guy, then it means you... _Like_ him..."

Understanding the implication in Dakota's words, Heather's face reddened, and she snatched the clothes from Dakota.

"How do you get these on, then?" she hissed. Alejandro hid a smile, making his way to the doors in the quarters.

"I might give you some privacy, " he threw over his shoulder as he exited. "When you're finished, bring her to the training centre, please, Dakota."

The doors slid shut behind him, and he couldn't help groaning at how busy the hallways had suddenly become; a rush of people were bustling through, leaving their quarters or dining halls to ensure they weren't late for work. Alejandro hated the morning rush; he often woke and ate earlier so he could get to work first and avoid the hectic stage. However, as he manouvred past the tide of people, someone caught his arm.

"Dude!" a familiar voice crowed, and Alejandro found Duncan grinning at him. "Did you hear the news?"

The general raised an eyebrow at his friend, pulling back to a wall to avoid a group of people tearing past them. "No, I did not. And I would appreciate it if you did not call me "dude". That is grossly outdated-"

"Yeah, Yeah." Duncan snorted, flicking a strand of dark hair out his eyes. "Anyway, you know Lightning's on parole, right?"

This did not surprise Alejandro- Lightning, who by a fluke ranked above him in the hierarchy of the superior society, was an extremely irresponsible officer, who continually attempted to ditch his scheduled patrols so that he could work out and show off to the girls who worked in his sector. It irked Alejandro; he himself was a responsible officer, and yet somehow Lightning had been promoted over him, something he was sure was influenced by the blatant attraction that the head of the patrol department had for the immature boy. Though it sounded bitter, Alejandro couldn't help feeling smug at the notion that Lightning was finally being disciplined.

"What for?" he questioned Duncan, trying to hold back a grin. Duncan shrugged, looking around.

"I dunno. There are rumours that he was trying to start a rebellion or something, but I reckon he was just slacking. Also, since he started dating that blonde chick, I think the boss might not like him as much..." he trailed off slyly, before clapping Alejandro's shoulder."If he gets demoted, you should totally try for the job! You'd be great!"

Alejandro straightened up proudly, but his face fell slightly. If he was promoted to Lightning's position as "high general of outside patrols" (it was the second highest rank in the patrol sector of the superior society), then it would mean several honors, less enforced patrol time, benefits and more luxurious accommodation in the complex. But there were several other officers who would be undoubtedly vying for the position, and he was also tied down with training Heather right now... The more he thought about it, the less likely a promotion seemed to be coming his way.

"Maybe." he replied doubtfully. Duncan looked across at the large digital clock set in the wall, before tensing.

"Dammitt- I've got a stupid patrol again in half an hour. You are so likely you don't have to do them for a year; you just get to hang around with a hot chick." (Alejandro frowned at this remark- it bothered him for some reason, though he couldn't figure out why.) Duncan raised a hand to his chin, mock-contemplating. "Hmm, maybe I'll meet a sexy animal girl out there today... Later."

Alejandro nodded stiffly as he departed, before crossing over to the elevators.

* * *

_"Another negotiation, Mr. McLean." A deep voice informed his boss gruffly."From the inferiors. They say that they need-"_

_This was interrupted with a rude staged cough. "Ahem, Hatchet. I'm getting my massage. Tell the pests they have to wait."_

_He was sprawled lazily on a large massage bed, the room dark, while a timid blonde girl carefully worked on his shoulders._

_"Anyway," he questioned the worker that just entered. "What do those beasts need this time?"_

_The large man pulled out his tablet, the light glaring up and casting eerie shadows on his dark-skinned face. "Blainely is begging you to stop patrols. She says that she's lost forty of her best scavengers this week..."_

_However, the man lying on the massage bed laughed coldly. "Awesome," he smirked triumphantly. "They're going to run out of metal pretty soon, and then..." he slammed his fist down on a small side table beside him, making the girl massaging him jump. "Have you been able to track any of the negotiation signals yet?"_

_"Not quite, but I think the technology officers are pretty close."_

_"Excellent!" he sat up, folding his arms smugly. "Just a matter of time..."_

* * *

The training centre took up an entire floor of the complex, equipped with different rooms filled stations for every need; historical records, physical training, weaponry skills, virtual examinations on every single career available in the complex... Heather stared at it all, feeling hesitant. She was fully dressed now, having begrudgingly learned how to fasten clothes, clean her teeth and brush her hair- trivial factors she failed to see the use for. Catching her reflection in the doors as they smoothly separated, she was once again taken aback by the stark contrast of how she looked now to the face she'd grown up knowing; she was a pillar of white, face looking sharp, eyes burning angrily. Alejandro was waiting for her in front of a large screen and greeted her warmly, a greeting which she did not return.

"For today, I feel it will benefit you to learn some of the basic rules of the superior society."

Heather said nothing, but raised one eyebrow in defiance, which he ignored. Pressing a small button on his wristband, the screen blared to life, causing Heather to jump back warily. Text began to appear on it, outlining number of rules for "trainees", while Alejandro narrated.

"Rule number one; As a trainee, you are not allowed to leave the complex without supervision of your trainer."

Heather just glared dully at the screen, folding her arms. "Yeah, yeah." She muttered in a deadpan. This reminded her too mcuh of her childhood lessons in the colony, and memories of her home opened up a well of longing.

"Rule number two- You can not, at any time, threaten any higher officer with a weapon unless it they can be proven to be threatening you or another person..."

The list of rules seemed endless. They were the only ones in the training centre, so Alejandro's voice echoed throughout the huge hall, the only sounds being his dictation of what appeared on the screen and the occassional snide responses Heather made to each one. She stayed standing rigidly, despite the chair placed conveniently for her, never losing focus.

"Number forty nine," By this point, Alejandro was beginning to sound as bored as Heather was of this repetitive presentation, but he continued to speak. "Theft is illegal for both trainees and superiors alike, and can be punishable by suspension of recreational privelages..." Alejandro couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief at the realisation that he was on to the last regulation in the presentation; his mouth was beginning to feel dry. "And finally, rule fifty. A trainee and a superior officer are forbidden to have intimate relations or show any signs of amorous behavior towards each other. This is punishable by Euthanaisa in the trainee's case, and severe demotion in the case of the superiors, as well as suspension of privelages indefinitely."

Heather couldn't help the scoff that broke through her stiff silence. "Well, there's no chance of that happening," she announced, giving Alejandro a filthy look. "So, is the stupid training over for today?"

Her face looked extremely sour when he informed her it had only just begun.

* * *

Scavenging had always been challenging; it required stealth, knowledge of the landscape and keen senses. But somehow, it was nothing compared to the dragging ordeal of the training Heather was being put through. She found the superior customs ridiculous; did it honestly matter if she brushed her hair every day, ate with cutlery or used a certain kind of plate or bowl for a certain kind of food? These were trivial in her opinion- no one would have cared in the colony.

They'd had lunch delivered to them in the training centre, though Heather had outright refused it; she stated that they were wasting far too much food, food which could have been used on people who were sick and injured; where she came from, they needed to save all the nutrition they could for those in need. Alejandro had attempted to explain to her that they had highly advanced medicines and supplies to treat those who were injured or sick, and it was actually healthy for her to consume meat frequently. However, she was dead set, and refused to even touch the packaged sandwhich, telling him she did not condone waste. Alejandro wanted to point out to her that if she didn't eat it, it was actually being far more wasteful, but let her be.

Obviously, the dining hall would still be too much for her- he cringed at the mere thought of her amongst other superiors, shouting out to all of them that they were selfish and wasteful for eating meat- so he returned her to her quarters that night when training was finished.

"I suggest you get to sleep at ten, since we will begin training early again tomorrow," he advised her, though Heather just shrugged, and he could see she didn't care what he suggested. She slipped into her quarters without any parting, missing the feeling of home that came with her colony. Food Alejandro had ordered for her had already deposited itself in the small chute, and she inspected it cynically; it didn't even look like food as far as she was concerned, a plate of strange scrambled meat served in a pool of thick red. Still, she took a tentative bite from it (to her irritation, the texture made it hard to eat without cutlery), surprised at the unusual flavor that shot onto her tongue. It wasn't unpleasant, but she refused to let herself like it; she did NOT like anything remotely superior.

* * *

"How did training the hot girl go, then?" Duncan couldn't help asking Alejandro as the two relaxed in the officer's lounge on the fourth floor during their recreation time.

"Her name is Heather, (he was getting sick of Duncan calling her "the hot girl" ) and training went...interestingly..." Alejandro wasn't sure how to describe the training session he'd had with the girl, considering just how despondent she'd been acting towards her situation.

"She is a very fiesty girl, and I do not think she trusts me yet." he finally said, and Duncan gave a lopsided shrug, leaning back lazily in the white lounge.

"She's only been here a day, right? She'll probably settle down soon enough. And hey, training someone's way better than stupid patrols." The officer gave an exaggerated yawn, wringing his hands together. "We didn't find _any_ inferiors today, and it was a total waste of time. Then Mister Pretty Boy," he jerked his head sharply in the direction of a different superior officer who was all but posing on a chair, smiling into a mirror while a group of girls giggled around him. "Started bragging about how he was right for a promotion..."

Alejandro gritted his teeth angrily; with the potential promotion coming up, his worst nightmare would be "Mr Pretty Boy," also known as Justin, getting a higher rank than him; Justin was an extremely vain and immature superior whose aim in life was to style his hair perfectly.

"I hope he does not... The thought of him being our boss is quite nauseating." He shuddered at the notion; it would inflate Justin's already large ego (though admittedly, neither Alejandro or Duncan was particularly modest) even further.

The two officers spent their recreational time engaging in pointless small talk; neither of them really felt like doing anything else, despite the blatant hints Courtney (who once again had gravitated towards Alejandro in an attempt to win him over) tried to drop about a romantic movie showing at the holoscreen, the same one Alejandro had turned down her offer to watch just one day ago. However, just as it had the day before, Alejandro's mind kept slipping back to the thought of Heather, and he found himself wondering if she would ever actually trust her new surroundings...

* * *

Exhaustion was weighing down on Heather, since she hadn't slept the night before, and though she wanted to avoid the bed set up in her room- it was too unnecessary, too superior- she found herself growing too tired to resist. Dakota had taught her how to change clothing, and she slipped into the sleepwear- something she preferred to the tightly fitted day clothes, as it was less restrictive and softer- set out for her. However, despite her over tired state of mind, sleep did not come. Her mind began to spiral frantically; she was furious at herself for not escaping yet, for letting herself stay in this evil prison for almost two days now. She'd eaten their food, worn their clothes, and was now laying on their bed... Were they turning her into one of them?

At some point, her worries carried into her unconscious, her dreams spiked with fear and hatred. She dreamt of the colony with longing and the superior complex with hatred. Frequently she found herself trapped in a cage in her dreams, while a sea of faceless superiors jeered at her. Worse still was the recollection that slipped into her nightmares; being young again, and seeing the purple laser shoot out into her parents' skulls, then the superior throwing them down as though they mean nothing...

She woke up with a jerk, and flung the dangerously comfortable bedclothes off her, stumbling down from the bed fittings and curling up on the floor instead. It was cold, and far less comfortable than even the thin mat she'd slept on in the colony. But her dream, the memory that would haunt her forever, reminded her of just why she hated the superiors. They were ruthless killers who thought they dominated the planet, she told herself firmly, and she was not going to give in and become one of them.

* * *

**Aaaand... Another chapter finished. What did you think? I know a lot of stuff seems kind of unimportant right now but I promise you, it WILL be important to the plot later.**

**Sorry if any of this is weird and confusing or anything.**


End file.
